Current job trends in education

I am proud that I come from a family of educators, and so it is an understatement to say that I’m disappointed when I read about the difficulties the US educational system has suffered. Yet much to my surprise, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I would have thought that in today’s economy, education jobs would have taken the biggest hit. I did some research, and was surprised to learn that the education sector added nearly 10,000 jobs in November 2013. This is great news for my cousins, millennials who have begun a career in teaching and are now considering additional education to deepen their skill sets and expand their career opportunities.

Top job trends in education in 2013:

Here are some of the interesting trends for career opportunities in education in 2013 and beyond:

Early childhood development education: Research shows that the first five years of a child’s life are critical for brain development. The skills gained during this important period last a lifetime. According to ChildAction.org, there are a variety of career opportunities in various settings for professionals who are passionate about nurturing the life skills and advocating for the emotional well-being of young children. The opportunities in school, church, non-profit, and government settings include preschool teacher, childcare administrator, social services coordinator, family services worker, and many others.

Educational psychology: Educational psychologists study how people learn. Not every teaching style or learning environment is right for every student. Educational psychologists strive to understand and explain how education can be improved, whether it is bettering teaching methods or helping students with differing abilities and needs. They have a direct impact on improving the quality of education and can be found at a range of institutions including conducting research at universities, evaluating students in clinical settings, and advising at educational companies.

Museum education: This is an area that is often overlooked by job applicants, but it’s one that is essential to museums nationwide. The majority of museums have education programs for all ages, from preschool level to adult learning. Museum educators design lesson plans, organize community outreach, implement programs, and act as teachers and leaders. Ultimately, museum educators enable students to take advantage of the many resources museums have to offer.

Photo: Sage Ross, Wikimedia Commons

Instructional technology: While definitions of instructional technology vary, professionals in this field agree that education is a process, and technology is a powerful way to facilitate learning. Instructional technology utilizes available resources to enable effective learning, tailored to the needs of the audience or community they are serving. The Los Angeles Independent School District implementing the goal of providing an iPad for each high school student it serves is just one example of how education is evolving to embrace technology. Professionals in instructional technology ensure the effectiveness of these cutting-edge educational initiatives.

A career in education is one of the noblest professions, and one that is deeply gratifying and rewarding. I am excited that my family members who are educators have such interesting and innovative career options available to them, enabling them to help students achieve success in pioneering new ways. Our nation’s students deserve nothing less.

Whether you’re seeking further success in your current role or a new opportunity, Kaplan University can help you prepare for the exciting possibilities ahead.*As an accredited university built on more than 75 years of experience,† Kaplan University offers a wide range of career-focused programs designed to develop the skills and knowledge leading employers seek. Our focus: to offer you the most direct educational path to achieve your goals.

Wonderful article! My fiance is an educator and we talk often about the difficulties facing teachers and administrators in today’s schools. It is good to see that available jobs are being filled and new ways of educating our future are being implemented. The one thing that has changed in the years since I attended 1st-12th grade is parents beliefs that their child is entitled to good grades, most times at the expense of hard work and knowledge.

As a grandmother over 60 I am interested in early childhood development education. I have been a granny nanny for one of my granddaughters and knew how important the one on one stimulation was to increased intelligence and IQ. Good article to consider.

I am all for a pay raise for educators that do their jobs because it is so important for our children to learn and be able to be an important part of society and live a productive life. I have a special needs grandson and have encountered therapist that are in it just for the pay which by the way we no longer attend therapy through them. I believe they have to enjoy what they do to perform and be able to help others through what they share.

This is great foe a younger person in the job force. I have noticed lately that know one seems to be mentioning how a lot of these big companies are forcing older employee’s that have been with the company along time into early retirement. Or just letting them go, because they know that they can hire a new younger person for half the amount of pay. I think it is crap, I know at least three people that this has happened to.

It is good to know that there are teaching jobs for those who want to get an education in this field. I think being a teacher is such a high calling, and getting the best education to begin a career in this field is so desirable. I think that young people need to look into this field when contemplating a career.

Teaching is a hard job as I used to be a special education teacher and spent every night scheduling my paraprofessionals with different students as requested by the parents as well as weekends working on lesson plans. I spent more time doing case management rather than the actual aspect of instruction which I missed.

I’ve never stopped to consider all of the different career trajectories for educators! I just think teacher when I think of teaching professions. The museum educator job sounds like it’d be so interesting!

I too am from a family of educators– myself as well, in sort–since we have taken on the job to home school our children. To me there has been such and over load put on teachers and not enough extras for them to do the best job they possible can do.. So many times they get their hands tied because of the district or community they live in, and have personally seen both teacher and students suffer for it. But I totally agree it is one of the most rewarding things in life to see the little light bulbs go on when a small person gets a concept in math or is delight to understand something in science. I would never change this feeling or job for the world to help them grow into great people,one day.

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